Thursday 18th June 2015

Shelby Mustang Super Snake announced

Iconic Ford tuner's latest creation packs 750hp and "drool inducing" eye candy; when's it in the UK?

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We'll get to the spec in just a second but if you need an official sentence to describe the Shelby Super Snake then it's this: "If you wanted quiet, go to the library or buy a hybrid." Brilliant.

Shelby Super Snake. Not good for lisps

Specifically that relates to the sound from the new Borla exhaust but it's a useful description for the whole Shelby Mustang; subtle this car is not. From the splitter and the hood scoops to the stripes and the forged 20-inch wheels, the Super Snake is not a vehicle for those wishing to make covert progress.

The standard Mustang GT is already a very impressive car so the possibility of one with another 300hp sounds hilarious. There is a 650hp package but why bother with that when you could have 750hp? All Super Snakes receive the carbon body parts (splitter, 'Super Snake hood', mirror caps, rear spoiler and diffuser), at least a thousand Shelby badges plus a few parts from Ford Performance. So there's a supercharger and exhaust plus handling and cooling packs straight from Henry's catalogue. See as well the Shelby Wilwood front brakes with six-piston calipers and carbon gauge boost cluster. Because what's a tuner car without gauges?

One thing better than V8? Supercharged V8!

There are a few key tweaks that take the 650hp Super Snake to 750hp and beyond. The Ford Performance supercharger is swapped for either a Whipple 750 or Kenne Bell 750, the cooling is further upgraded and the rear brakes are Wilwood also. Need more? The options list includes even more carbon, a roll cage with harnesses and race seats.

A fairly comprehensive package then, as you might expect for a $50,000 conversion. The 750hp Super Snake is $55,000 on top of a standard Mustang GT. But then a V8 'stang costs less in dollars in America than it does here in pounds. So a base V8 is $32,300, or £20,300. At today's exchange rather $55,000 is £34,600, resulting in a brand-new 750hp Mustang for £55K. Warranty? Er, we'll get back to you...

[Source: Shelby]

[British Beef]

The tuning potential and aftermarket options list for these Mustangs engines & chassis is for me one of the biggest pulls, to an already attractive package!

11 sec Quarter mile with some sticky tyres ?

[British Beef]

RadQuinn said:

flatso said:

Nothin against all the schicky-micky programmable electronic gizmoes, but WHY can't a classic manual transmission be offered even as an option?
Jag coupe, great V8, looks porn, but no auto.
M3,M5,M6 all auto
AMG models...auto

Surely the accountants of all these companies have done their research and thier sales figures speaks for them. I for one will not even consider a sports car without a manual transmission. I'm buying the damned thing as a toy, to take out for special drives. The accountants forgot that one buys a sports car to DRIVE it, not to pretend you are sitting in front of the playstation flicking throgh gears.
I would have bought a european, but they are literally forcing my hand to hand my dough to the yanks.

You're a little off on your info there bud; Almost all BMW M models offer a manual transmission at no extra charge. All except the M4 Convertible and SAVs I believe. This Mustang, like all other Mustangs, will offer great power and good looks but will have nothing near the quality of a M Division car or anything that comes out of AMG.

As far as BMW's offerings in the UK are concerned you are wrong.

BMW has proceeded in reducing the offering of manual transmission on its M models over the last 4 generations of cars.
Up until E39 M5, the M5 could only be had with manual, the next Gen M5 (the V10) and the M6 were only offered with the SMG (automated manual) - no clutch pedal so not a manual. (although in US this was available with a manual box).
The M3 has always been and continues to be offered with manual. What percentage are now spec'd with a manual I would be curious.

So X5M, X6M, M6, M6 gran coupe and M5 are all only available now with "auto" boxes (call it whatever you want) - the car changes gear for you.
Only the M3 / M4 continues to be offered with a proper manual box.

For me it is sad to see no M models now offered with a NA engine and only one with a manual box!